Ecommpay, the leading international Payment Service Provider and UK & Europe direct bank card acquirer, has launched Direct Debit payments across BACS and SEPA with bank payment company GoCardless.

By using GoCardless Embed -- the fintech’s white-labelled solution that allows payment service providers (PSP) to integrate GoCardless’ global bank payment network straight into their platform through a single, simple API -- Ecommpay was able to offer the new payment method at speed, enabling its merchants to tap into the subscription economy with a fast, secure and cost-effective way to get paid.

The strategic move allows Ecommpay to increase UK and EU market coverage by approximately 44% without cannibalising existing payment methods.

Direct Debit has seen a surge in popularity and consumer demand. It’s now one of the UK’s most popular and trusted ways to pay, with 80% of Brits having at least one to pay for their regular outgoings. According to a survey conducted by Ecommpay at the end of 2023, 54% of UK consumers used subscriptions during the pandemic, with 42% continuing to do so and 14% even increasing their usage. UK consumers have on average 1.6 active subscriptions, with 32% using one regularly and 30% using two.

In addition to evolving consumer payment preferences, businesses face challenges such as fraud prevention and reducing checkout abandonment rates. Recognising existing barriers and shifting end-consumer payment trends, Ecommpay chose GoCardless to help them introduce Direct Debit payments as a proactive response.

Deepak Colluru, Director of Product Management for GoCardless Embed, said: "We're extremely proud to help Ecommpay launch its Direct Debit offering, enabling its customers to tap into a payment option that is seamless, secure and highly preferred. Ecommpay's speed to market is testament to the simple 'plug-and-play' nature of GoCardless Embed, allowing payment service providers to access a global bank payment network in a matter of weeks. We look forward to helping millions of businesses realise the benefits of bank payments, from reducing costs, fraud and manual admin to increasing cash flow and conversion."

Head of Financial Partnerships, Arthur Ribakovs said:  “The addition of Direct Debit capabilities further expands Ecommpay’s already extensive portfolio, including Open Banking: Advanced, 100+ local payment methods and global card acquiring via a single integration. With a full-stack proprietary ecosystem that ensures 99.999% uptime and around-the-clock business and IT support, Ecommpay is not only strengthening its presence in the UK and Europe, but continues to improve its offering for FinTech and e-commerce merchants.”

GoCardless Embed is an integration for third party payment service providers (PSP) to access:

• bank payment schemes in the UK, Eurozone and US, with more to come in the near future
• end-to-end payment processing capabilities for bank-to-bank payments including reconciliation, mandate management, reporting and refunds
• open banking-powered features, including instant one-off and recurring payments in the UK and account verification and fraud prevention across the three markets

It's a fast and easy way for PSPs to increase revenue through expanding the range of payment methods they offer, keeping their merchants in-platform and retaining complete control over the customer experience.

GoCardless Embed is a part of GoCardless’ indirect channel strategy, going to market through more than 350 partners and PSPs.